Here are 5 important things happening in tech around the world today.
YouTube is expanding its Stations feature beyond just music to include podcasts, media channels, and creator content.
The 24/7 streams are currently being tested with limited creator involvement, and YouTube is evaluating user responses.
In global markets, Asian shares posted a modest gain, while US stock futures slipped, as traders avoided big bets before Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh’s Jackson Hole speech for clues on the path of interest rates. Treasuries held their losses.
MSCI’s Asia Pacific equities gauge added 0.3%, with winners and losers almost evenly split. The Kospi Index — a barometer for artificial intelligence investments — fell 1.3%.
Futures for Wall Street gauges edged lower as initial enthusiasm over the AI trade following Nvidia Corp.’s bullish outlook waned.
Nasdaq 100 contracts slipped 0.2%, with Marvell Technology weighing on sentiment after falling more than 7% in extended trading following its earnings report.
European shares, however, were set to advance. Treasuries held Thursday’s losses, when yields rose two to three basis points across the curve amid concerns about inflation and the US fiscal outlook.
Warsh is due to speak at the Fed’s annual gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with some investors expecting a hawkish tone. The yield on the rate-sensitive two-year note held at 4.23%.
The dollar was little changed. The modest moves across assets showed traders were reluctant to add to positions before Warsh’s speech, which may determine whether the recent rise in bond yields has further to run.
Investors will look for clues on how the Fed will balance persistent inflation against a cooling economy, with any lack of clarity likely to fuel volatility in longer-dated Treasuries and stocks already grappling with concerns over massive AI spending.
On Thursday, US technology stocks rallied on Nvidia’s outlook, lifting the major indexes even as every other sector in the US market declined.
While questions over the sustainability of AI spending may continue to fuel bouts of volatility in tech, accelerating investment in the sector may also add to inflation and upward pressure on bond yields.
“The tailwinds from Nvidia’s results may thus quickly fizzle over the course of the trading day as investors prepare for the impact from the speech by Fed Chair Warsh,” said Frederic Neumann, chief Asia economist at HSBC.
Regarding cryptocurrency movements, Bitcoin fell 0.3% to $79,834.01 (R1,276,785), and Ether fell 0.5% to $2,495.54 (R39,911). [Bloomberg]
**YouTube expanding “Stations” content: **YouTube is expanding its Stations feature beyond just music to include podcasts, media channels, and creator content. The 24/7 streams are currently being tested with limited creator involvement, and YouTube is evaluating user responses. Stations don’t have a dedicated section and will appear sporadically in Home and Search feeds. [Android Authority]
**GTA VI “demo” loading malware onto gamers’ PCs: **GTA fans eager for the franchise’s latest title are being targeted by a malware campaign using fake Rockstar Games websites and demos. The files contain infostealers capable of stealing browser passwords, cookies, browsing history, autofill data, and FTP credentials. [Engadget]
**Pentagon’s attempt to blacklist Anthropic blocked: **A US federal court has ruled that the Pentagon’s designation of Anthropic as a supply chain risk was “illegal and baseless”. The ruling blocks certain federal agencies from enforcing President Donald Trump’s order to stop using Anthropic’s Claude. [Engadget]
**YouTube lets creators tag Amazon products and earn commission: **YouTube is allowing eligible creators in the US to tag Amazon products in shorts, videos, and livestreams, through which they can earn commission on sales. The change eliminates the need for separate Amazon Associates links and supports automatic product tagging. [TechCrunch]
**Speedo launches smart module for Vanquisher goggles: **Speedo has launched SpeedoIQ, a removable swimming intelligence module for its Vanquisher product that provides real-time data on pace, distance, breathing, head position, and turns. SpeedoIQ has been approved by World Aquatics for competition, and the system tracks all strokes and provides post-swim coaching data. [Engadget]
